United Kingdom Books

This book certainly teaches a lesson about politics and the newspapers in Britain. It is hard to believe what the people in the book went through and what might be behind the motives of such a story. I highly recommend this book.

This book by Jonathan Aitken is the most fascinating book I have read in the last year. And it is surely the most fascinating book I've ever read by a politician. It is a book about a arrogant politician who falls down and comes into prison. But while his reputation goes downhill, his spiritual health goes uphill. And as a journalist my cheeks colored red, both of tension and of shame about my own profession. I hope many other politicians will come to the same sort of renewing experience (apart from being hunted by the press...).

If you think that God is a concept for the inadequate, this book reveals how the reality of God took over the life of an exceptional politician. Attacked by the press but ruined by his own lies and arrogance a proud man found that rebuilding was only possible from a base of true humility. I found this book easy to read and inspirational. Jonathan's faith convinced me that he is not a man to be despised, as the press depicted him, but a man blessed, initially by good looks intelligence and power but who was stripped and humiliated until he saw a new road he had to take in the service of Jesus. To read of his unashamed confession that Jesus is Lord of his life and that true power, to recover, and live in it's truest sense, comes from that relationship alone. This book may make you review your opinion, about Jonathan, and God.

Just as James Agee (deceased) and Pauline Kael (alive, but retired) remain the best writers on the Art of Film, so Kenneth Tynan (again, deceased) is still the best writer on the Art of Theatre. Tynan wrote so beautifully and wittily and lovingly about the stage and the people who inhabit it and he was also responsible in a major way for the success of the National Theatre of Great Britain along with his friend and professional partner, Laurence Olivier. (an essay on Olivier is one of the high-points of this book.) It was Tynan who "discovered" Harold Pinter, who "made the career" of John Osbourne and was a major factor in reviving the career of Noel Coward, after years of neglect: as Literary Manager of the National, it was Tynan who urged a revival of Coward's classic "Hay Fever."

This collection of 50 essays is absolutely essential reading for anyone who has a love of theatre or simply of celebrity and star power. No one writing today writes as well as Tynan did nor consistently shows his affection for Show Business. If you regularly read today's so-called critics, you come away with the feeling that they become INSULTED that plays they dislike were actually produced!

I highly recommend this book. It is passionate, charming and, at times, really funny stuff. But, please, do yourself a favor and haunt every used book shop you know to find a copy of Tynan's out-of-print collected theatre reviews from the U.S. (he wrote for "The New Yorker") and England called CURTAINS. It is absolutely the best book of criticism you'll ever read.

Enormously entertaining and the writing is to die for. Epstein regards Tynan as a lightweight and in a way I guess he is, but a skilled lightweight is still a thing of beauty and Tynan IS skilled. I stared underlining favorite passages but had to stop because I was underlining almost everything.

Tynan was one of the century's great journalists, capable of capturing a performer in two paragraphs, yet equally adept at longer essays, several of which are collected here. The pieces on Stoppard and Louise Brooks are particularly fine. The reviewer below is right: the writing is to die for; but, compared to Epstein, Tynan is a super-hevyweight, with ten times the force and prose-potency.

I found this book to be highly helpful for a new gardener. It not only shows combinations, but gives lots of year round tips. A friend brought it to me to browse, I was so impressed I had to buy the book for myself. I also told a few friends - that this is definitely the "1" book you want to have in your gardening library. I can't wait for mine to come, I'm sure my friend is anxious to have hers back.

This book is written for gardeners in England. For those of us in the Pacific Northwest the plants suggested are perfect. They are readily available and many do their best here. Every gardener in Seattle, Vancouver BC and Portland OR should buy this book. For gardeners in other parts of the USA it will not be pefect but still well worth reading.

The technique of layering the garden with plants that have interest in more than one season and the wonderful combinations can be applied to plants that will thrive in your climate zone. There are suggested combinations and vignettes throughout the book for all seasons. There are detailed sections on key plants throughout also. Clematis, Heather, Dwarf Conifers and many more get the spotlight.

This book is full of outstanding color photos. They are beautiful as well as instructional. Many of the plants are shown in more than one season so you can see not just what the blooms are like but the fall or winter color too.

This book makes it easy to have a garden that is just as interesting in December as it is in May.

i have hundreds of gardening books and this is one i love, love, love. i will pick it up every season of the year to get ideas.

This is the top design book I own.

The layout makes the most of the book's large (11" x 14") format. There are many full-page illustrations, and other illustrations are generously sized. Many are breathtaking. The book is just chock-full of large, brilliant illustrations.

The text in this book is easy to read - other reference books seem meant for academics. It is incredibly thorough and interesting.

I ordered a used copy of this book, and it was still close to $200 - I think this is the most expensive book I own. But the cost was well worth it in terms of enjoyment and design ideas (for an amateur interested in design history).

John Morley's Regency Design offers a wealth of information for anyone seeking an indepth resource on the Regency Style. The organization of the information makes it easy for the reader to follow and locate specific areas of interests. Parks, Gardens, Exterior Architecture, Interior Design and Furniture are all included with generous amount of illustrations. Morley's Regency Style is now in my company's design library as the recommended sourch for Regency Style research. I highly recommend this book for design professionals, instructors and anyone interested in the study of classical styles.

All my congratulations to John Morley - he has provided an enormous volume - full of lush illustrations, good background information and a great browsing volume of Regency Design

Following what is popularly known as teh extended regency, or late Georgian period John Morley uses the period of 1790-1840 which covers the end of George III's reign (and the regency period of 1811-1820), the reign of King George IV, William IV and first few years of Victoria. This early part of the century is the start of the great industrial years, the increasing population in Britain, and increasing wealth.

What I loved best about this book is its easy reference. It is divded into four sections, Parks and Gardens, Exterior Architecture, interior decoration, and Furniture. Within each section looking at the formative incluences, styles, and how they manifested.

Each chapter has good explanatory commentary, and is well illustrated. The only other book I can really compare this to is one I have read by Steven Parrisen which also done excellent works on Regency architecture. This book covers a great deal more in one volume which I felt allowed a broader depth of understanding of the style. It would be really nice to include two other sections (I think) one of food, and one of clothing. I daresay to do that there would be a great deal more to have to add as well and this book would need to double in size.

Nice reference book, good for browsing through too.

There is a lot of racism against Korean's in Cambridge University. Most of this racism seems to emanate from French students, who appear to have an irrational hatred of Korean's. A good example would be when a group of Korean's came to my College bar to watch South Korea play against France in the World Cup. The Korean's were told repeatedly to shut up by a group of French students whenever they cheered for South Korea (known as the red devils). The French students were very aggressive towards the Korean's, especially after Park Ji Sung scored the equalizer. I hope that France gets knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage.

It is a shame that Christian Kim was asked to leave Cambridge since he did a lot of good work as president of the Cambridge University Korean Society. Racist attacks against Korean's fell during Christian Kim's presidency, however they are now on the rise. I feel that this is a very important book in the fight against anti-Korean racism. All korean's in Cambridge need to read this book.

I have been looking forward to reading this book by Christian Kim. I have read his other books and find them quite impressive. He is insightful and understands social dynamics of today. I would recommend all books by Christian Kim.

This book written by one of the prominent leaders of the Korean community is great! Koreans have been struggling for many years to empower ourselves and it's great that there is a person out there who is willing to sacrifice himself to empower Koreans.

I have both the first and the current editions of this utterly invaluable book. It is undoubtedly the best and most detailed discussion of Roman military equipment available and it is a "must read" for anyone interested in the subject, be he or she an historian, re-enactor, artist or whatever. I would give this book six stars, but there are only five available.

I am a Roman era re-enactor and I absolutely loved this book! Not only did in inform me with details I didn't know, but also informed me with what was wrong with my impression.

This is a must have for any Roman era enthusiast!!

My brother is a big history and punic wars buff, and he really enjoyed it. From what I looked at the illustrations were amazing and the book seemed well written.

This is not just a book of immense intrinsic value. It's a book of real historical importance as one of two biographies of Salisbury published recently which entirely reassess his standing as one of the leading English statemen of the latter part of the nineteenth century, ranking alongside Gladstone and Disraeli.

It seems incredible in view of the plethora of studies on Gladstone and Disraeli that it's been half a century since any historian has made a full-scale re-evaluation of the life of Robert Cecil, third Marquess of Salisbury, three-times Prime Minister and architect of Queen Victoria's glittering Empire.

And yet he was a man arguably of greater intellect than either of these two other late Victorian "giants". Disraeli wrote rather affected, stylized novels; Gladstone turned out unreadable religious tracts. Salisbury, on the other hand, produced stimulating and pithy articles in the Saturday and Quarterly Reviews and delivered parliamentary speeches at least as memorable as those of the other two statesmen.

But few historians have really come to grips with Salisbury in recent times. One had to look into Barbara Tuchman's epic "The Proud Tower" to find a chapter that did justice to the colorful, quirky patrician figure who performed sometimes dangerous chemical experiments in his spare time, was one of the first to introduce electricity into his home, rode around on an enormous tricycle and who was always ready to chat to strangers, even lunatics.

Perhaps historians have been too ready to downgrade Salisbury's standing because of his inherent conservatism in the domestic field, his endeavors to preserve the status quo. And as to his being a main architect of Empire, this all-too-readily clashes with the modern, probably justified aversion to that theme.

This book was commissioned by the present Marquess of Salisbury. It says a lot about the open-mindedness of the Cecil family that historian Andrew Roberts was given the task. Anyone who has read his wonderfully debunking "Eminent Churchillians" knows Roberts as an historian of the utmost integrity, incapable of pulling punches. And he pulls none in his biography of Salisbury, whom he paints on a broad canvass, "warts and all". But Roberts's admiration and affection for his subject is never in doubt. The result is a big book about a very big statesman by a young, big, historian.

Victoria and Salibury; two true Titans who, the former, giving her name to the century, and the latter, who helped create the formidable empire which was both reviled and regaled. This book is in the great tradition of "Life and Times" biographies. Mr. Roberts is to be commended for the scope and structure of slowly but with anticipation revealing the aspects of a fascinating man. The chapters on the Boer War and the Realpolitik diplomacy of the African continent are just two elements that should be read for years to come. From a shy and bookish child to the political standard bearer of the Tory Party, this book shows a man with conviction, often callous to some but with foresight which comes through in the epigrammatical style of Salisbury's prose. Thank You Andrew Roberts for your wonderful book.

Andrew Roberts has produced a superbly written and wonderfully exciting biography of Lord Salisbury, three times Queen Victoria's Prime Minister. In his fifty-year career, Salisbury won over Disraeli, destroyed Lord Randolph Churchill, charmed Queen Victoria, wrecked Gladstone's hopes for Irish Home Rule, and saw off Bismarck. The book is based on Salisbury's archive at Hatfield House, and on the papers of more than 140 of his contemporaries.

Roberts records Salisbury's many contradictions. He supported "the right of a minority of Americans to secede from a Union, but not a majority of Irishmen." He opposed socialism as mere confiscation, but upheld the actions of his ancestor, the First Earl, who had confiscated much of Ulster's land between 1607 and 1609, then selling it to City and Scottish businessmen.

He wrote eloquently against intervention in other countries' domestic affairs. "The Assemblies that meet at Westminster have no jurisdiction over the affairs of other nations. Neither they nor the Executive, except in plain defiance of international law, can interfere with the brigandage of Italy, or the persecutions in Spain, or the teachings of the schools in Schleswig-Holstein. What is said in either House about them is simply impertinence ... It is not a dignified position for a Great Power to occupy, to be pointed out as the busybody of Christendom." And, "there is no practice which the experience of nations more uniformly condemns, and none which governments more consistently pursue."

Indeed, his Governments annually waged colonial wars in Asia and Africa, adding 2.5 million square miles and 44 million people to the Empire. His war against the Boers was particularly shameful: he claimed that Britain had sovereignty over the Transvaal, although the British Government had ceded this in the 1884 Pretoria Convention. (Roberts grants that Salisbury was `on exceedingly tricky ground legally'.) As Salisbury admitted, "If our ancestors had cared for the rights of other peoples, the British Empire would never have been made."

This valuable little book really aided our trip and gave us lots of ideas for planning other trips as well.

Very readable and thankfully for all budgets!

Highly recommended! (Especially good on the plane, bus or train, too!)

I traveled regularly to the UK for a few months and this book provided us with plans for our 15 most memorable weekends. Most walks take you to locations that you probably wouldn't encounter if you stuck to a typical guidebook. We particularly liked the walks in the western and southern part of the country. We used recommendations for B&Bs in Wales and the Southwest. One of the paths for the walk was overgrown and we got lost for 30 minutes or so...no big deal.

You won't need hiking shoes/gear for these walks, but bring a backpack with water and a snack and if you are traveling in the springtime, paths can get a little muddy and you will almost certainly need a change of shoes (and possibly a change of pants).

Even if you are only going to be in the UK for a couple of weeks, I would recommend mixing 2 or 3 of these walks into your trip.

I'm not big on walking, and this book only has four hikes for Scotland, so why would I bother buying it when I took a trip to Scotland about ten years ago? Because leafing through it, the hike to Dunnottar Castle (and the castle itself) sounded so intriguing, and so cool, that I decided I had to go. My "regular" travel guide just mentioned the castle in part of one paragraph, but that hike was the highlight of my entire trip. I ended up doing 3 of the 4 Scottish walks instead of just the one. Many of the expeditions are really easy: you don't need hiking boots, stamina, or experience, and they take you to specific interesting destinations. It's fun to read even if you don't actually go on the walks, but you'll sure want to once you've read the book.

I purchased this book for my husband, but read it myself first. It is very well written with good insight as to Sir Edward Coke. I would cheerfully recommend this to anyone with an interest in legal history.

Allen Boyer has produced a worthy successor to Bowen's The Lion and the Throne.

Boyer shows us the pragmatic Coke, the shrewd lawyer who energetically represented his clients. He also shows us the idealistic Coke, the jurist who championed and clarified the English common law.

Boyer's legal background makes Coke come alive, a lawyer's lawyer. Still an inspiration after 400 years!

Whether one is interested in History, Law or just seeking some insight into someone who has shaped our world Allen Boyer's work is a pleasure. I must confess my exposure to Sir Edward Coke was rudimentary at best but over the course of this text I became familiar with his accomplishments and gained an intimate insight into Sir Edward Coke's life. Allen Boyer's mastery of the written word is quite apparent and his ability to entertain and bring life to this important historical figure makes the work a true joy to read. His tireless research and familiarity with the subject matter is found in almost every crafted word.
Simply stated, it is a must have for anyone interested in the history of Law, Sir Edward Coke and those who wish to read a finely crafted text.

Soldier accoutrements are often only mentioned in passing in books dealing with the uniform details. Although extant artefacts can be seen in various museums, this book gathers all the source material on the British Army of this period relating to this one single topic into a magnificent volume with terrific illustrations. Details just pop out on every page! For example, who would have realised that grenadiers would sport a wound cord item on the back of their shoulder belts? This point is just not apparent in practically every other "expert" book on uniformology. All reenactors and modellers should get a copy!

This is truly indispensable for students of the British army and the detail is amazing. These drawings are a fantastic resource and show many clear images of some of the more obscure pieces of British army equipment you will find no where else. It is a great reference and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the particulars of 18th and 19th Century military kit. Top notch reference.

A splendid book, finely and accurately illustrated with detailed color drawings of the accoutrements used by Great Britain from 1750 until 1900. What do they mean by 'accoutrements'? Accoutrements are the soldiers field equipments: canteens, waterbottles, mess-tins, haversacks, belts, pouches, musket and rifle slings, bayonet frogs, knapsacks, buckles and other odds'n'ends used by the British cavalry and infantry soldier over about a 150 year period. Believe me they are all there, illustrated in expert detail, right down to the stitching, with a scale rule in inches on each page to provide dimensions. In addition to the equipment illustrations the artist, Pierre Turner, provides a few illustrations of soldiers actually wearing the equipment to show how it was all arranged on the body. Anyone familiar with Osprey Publishings series on military uniforms and campaigns will recognize Pierre Turner's name. Now don't misunderstand, this book is not an illustrated uniform reference, packed full of splendid soldiers in red. There are just a handful of soldiers illustrated where necessary to explain the arrangement of particular pieces of equipment. This book IS a thorough, well layed out, illustrated work on every piece of field equipment that the British soldier and cavalryman of the mid-18th and 19th centuries wore. Each piece is shown in great detail from every angle. These include variations, changes and upgrades over the years. The belts, straps, packs, etc. are laid out on the page as if they were right there in front of you - any you would never get this view of them any other way except if you actually could handle or owned these items. The complicated Valise Equipment of 1870 through it's variations up to the 1888 Pattern are all there. Even the picks and shovels are included, something that no British soldier could do without even today. Mr. Turner should be congratulated for the painstaking care with which he went about creating this bible of British Army accoutrements. This book is a must have for any collector, historian, or hobbiest interested in the British soldier from 1750 to 1900.